NC PP meet
NC to develop mechanism for govt-party coordination

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 21: The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) is likely to develop a separate mechanism for coordinating between the government and the party after Dashain festival.

A meeting of the NC parliamentary party held today at the Prime Minister’s residence Baluwatar approved the proposal regarding the formation of the mechanism. The party’s Central Working Committee meeting held earlier had forwarded the proposal regarding the development of the mechanism to make coordination between the government and the party.

"NC parliamentary party has approved the proposal to develop a mechanism to coordinate between the government and the party. The mechanism will be developed following the Dashain festival," Benup Prasad Prasai, secretary of the NC’s parliamentary party, told the journalists after the meeting today.

In today’s meeting, NC President and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and founder of the NC and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai were absent as they were scheduled to attend formal programmes.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and General Secretary of the party Sushil Koirala had informed the meeting regarding the formation of the mechanism for the coordination.

Today’s meeting also passed four proposals—formation of draft committee to amend the existing statute of the parliamentary party, approval of the parliamentary party’s budget for the current fiscal year, collection of resources and the extension of best wishes on the occasion of Dashain festival.

The committee formed to make an amendment draft of the statute includes secretary of the parliamentary party, former secretaries, chief whip and whip. NC parliamentary party has passed a budget of Rs. 2 million for the current fiscal year. President Koirala will provide Rs. 2,000 to the party every month. Similarly, ministers will have to give Rs. 1,500 and lawmakers of the party will have to pay Rs. 1,200 to the party each month.

Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Deuba said that many capable personalities have not been included in the recently reshuffled cabinet. He further said that the cabinet would be reshuffled after six months and personalities will be included or excluded from the cabinet on the basis of their performance.

General Secretary Koirala emphasized the need for coordination between the government and the party. "Since the formation of a large sized cabinet will not convey a good message to the people, the party will extend necessary cooperation to the government for smaller cabinet," he said.

He also said that the government has to maintain a clean image and it has to be alert against corruption.

Speaking at the meeting, former Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said that the party and the government have to be saved from any kind of groupism considering the present complicated situation.

"If we involve in any groupsim, we will be unable to tackle the present problem of the country," Poudel said.

On the occasion, chief whip of the parliamentary party of NC Tek Bahadur Chokhyal presented a report of the issues raised by the party in the 20th session of Parliament.

Lawmakers at the National Assembly Shukra Raj Sharma and Bijul Kumar Bishwakarma complained that the members of the Upper House were not included in the cabinet.

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